Haru
by yumi michiyo
Summary: No matter what happens, cherry blossoms bloom in the capital every spring. A serial told in pieces written for LJ prompts. Set in the manga canon.
1. Night

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'yielding'.

* * *

Ogami's footsteps echoed through the Grand Imperial Theatre; it was midnight, and everyone was asleep.

"Almost forgot it was my turn to take the night patrol," he muttered under his breath. "Just my luck."

The young captain gingerly prodded one arm, wincing as the flesh yielded under pressure painfully. That last battle against Crimson Miroku was barely a few days ago and he was still a little sore.

But the conflict between two of his Hanagumi members, Kanna and Sumire, had been completely cleared up – and being a battle of epic proportions to rival the greater one they fought to keep Tokyo safe, Ogami was in a good mood.

"Nearly finished patrolling the second floor." Thoughts of his warm, inviting bed filled his thoughts and he smiled.

But then he spotted a lone figure, its back to him, staring out the French glass window which dominated the hallway before him. It was oblivous to his presence as he approached...

"Sakura-kun," said Ogami softly. "Can't sleep?"

She jumped. "O – Ogami-san!" Sakura fidgeted with the hem of her kimono.

Her captain chuckled. "It's alright, Sakura-kun." He switched off the flashlight. "Actually, I'm happy you went for a walk. It was getting a bit lonely by myself."

She blushed. "Ogami-san..." They watched the lights outside; even at that hour, Tokyo still bustled with activity.

"I see why you love this spot so much," commented the captain. "The view is really lovely."

"Yes," she smiled, touching the glass. "No matter what time it is, life goes on. People go about their daily business in peace."

"This is what we fight for," she added in a much softer voice. Ogami heard it, and smiled.


	2. Shattered Peace

Sakura blinked, and the spell broke.

"It's late, Ogami-san," she said with a blush. "You should rest; you must be tired after that last battle..."

"Ah, not really..." He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "You too, Sakura-kun." He switched on his flashlight. "Come, I'll walk you back to your room."

" – but, Ogami-san – "

"It's alright. I'm done with the patrol, and it's on the way too."

At last, Sakura returned his cheerful grin with a hesitant smile. "Thank you, Ogami-san."

* * *

The next morning was a complete departure from the tentative, friendly atmosphere of last night. Ogami sighed as he picked at his breakfast while Kanna and Sumire argued.

"It wasn't me who dirtied that fancy kimono of yours, snake woman!" yelled Kanna.

"Who else could it have been then? No one else is as wilfully clumsy as you are, you gorilla woman!" shot back Sumire.

The captain stood up. "Sumire-kun, if Kanna said she didn't do it, I believe her. Kanna, please try not to provoke her temper." He sat down calmly as the two combatants stared at him, dumbstruck.

"Whoa! You've gotten good at this, Ogami-han," remarked Kohran from over the top of her mechanical manual. He smiled and opened his mouth to reply –

The siren wailed, and every head in the dining hall turned.

"The alarm! Let's go!"

The sound of pounding feet filled the hallways; the Hanagumi dashed towards the portrait hall which led to the underground base.

General Yoneda was waiting for them already, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Wakiji have been spotted around Eko-in in the Ryogoku district," he said, gesturing to the screen. Faint, blurred images of the steam-powered robots flickered there."

"Most worrying…" The image zoomed in on the faint outline of a man.

"Aoi Satan," breathed Sakura.


	3. Reassurance

**Author's Note:** Written for the LJ comm **100_fairytales**; the prompt used was 'the snare'.

* * *

The robotic eye of Ogami's koubu swiveled around cautiously. "No sign of the wakiji, or Satan..."

"Nothing on this side, Captain," crackled Maria's voice in his ear.

He nodded. "Be careful. It may be an ambush."

"Yes, sir."

The temple grounds were deserted, black scorch marks marring the otherwise serene facade. His fingers tightened around the controls of his machine.

"Alright, listen u – damn, it's a trap!"

An immense evil reiryoku made itself known just as the wakiji rose from the ground – the Hanagumi clustered together in a defensive position. Luckily, none of them had been caught off guard.

"What a pleasure, Imperial Fighting Troupe," remarked a familar voice; Aoi Satan materialized before them on the steps of the main temple hall.

"Aoi Satan! Today will be the day we bring you to justice!" roared Ogami, brandishing his swords. A wakiji came too close and was promptly cut down.

The tall man appeared amused. "Really? I look forward to it." Wakiji advanced at a gesture from his hand. "Maria, Sakura-kun, Sumire, take the left! Kanna, Kohran, the right! Iris, stay with me!"

"Right, Onii-chan!" chirped the French girl, proud to be staying with him. The other girls echoed their acknowledgments – in decidedly less familar tones – and moved into battle.

For a while, there was nothing but the sound of fighting; the ring of steel on steel and the hissing as the steam machinery of the wakiji gave way. Ogami kept an eye on their leader the entire time, and was disturbed to see his smile had not shifted.

The captain's mind whirred even as he fought, analysing the situation; members of the Kuronosu Council had been seen over the past few months. Always with a major temple in the vicinity – Shiba park, and now Eko-in were the exceptions, the latter being a small shrine dedicated to a holy stone inhabited by a Shinto deity. The wakiji that fought were numerous but easily defeated. He frowned –

"Ogami-han!" came in Kohran. "My sensors are picking up immense reiryoku readings from the temple!"

"Where Satan is?"

"No, behind him in the main hall!"

Too late, Ogami noticed the man was gone. He charged towards the main hall –

"Demon-driven Kamui!"

Satan's Kamui rose from the ground, blocking his path.

"Damn!"

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you to pass, Hanagumi," came the smooth voice of their enemy. "You arrived too quickly and interrupted my business."

"We can't waste any time! Formation to Destroy Evil!"

The Hanagumi's koubus moved into position smoothly, the girls pouring their reiryoku into Sakura, the formation's centre. Ogami followed directly behind her.

"Ouka Houshin!"

In a blindingly bright flash of light, the Kamui was blown out of the way – revealing Aoi Satan standing int he middle of the temple grounds beside a giant object suspended in midair.

Ogami heard a sharp intake of breath over the radio – it could have been Kanna or Kohran, he was not sure.

"What the hell is that?" The voice that spoke was unmistakably Kanna's.

It resembled a giant spindle of sorts; black, with pointed, screw-like top and bottom. Aoi Satan had his hands together and was chanting; with every word, the object pulsated and Ogami winced from the strong dark energy radiating from it.

It was clear whatever it was, it would be to their advantage if it was destroyed.

"Go for Satan!" commanded the captain. "I'll destroy that thing!"

Even as he spoke, more wakiji swarmed in, blocking their view. He evidently was not to be disturbed in his task.

The influx had separated him and Sakura from the rest of the Hanagumi; in their charge into the main compound, they had avoided the press of mechanical soldiers which surrounded the other members of the team.

"Maria! Kanna! Kohran! Iris!"

"We can handle things here, Captain," came in Maria. "Stop Satan!"

"... Right. Sakura-kun, back me up," he said reluctantly.

"Yes, sir!"

"Onkiriri basara unbatah – mun!"

Just before they could attack him, Aoi Satan's eyes flew open and he shot them a look of triumph. The strange black object sank into the ground without a trace.

"It is done!" he gloated. "Our lord Bishop Tenkai is supreme in Tokyo once more!"

Sakura aimed a swipe at him; he dematerialized and reappeared on the torii of the temple gates.

"I'm afraid I cannot stay and play more with you, Imperial Fighting Troupe. Until next time."

"Kanzaki Fujinryu, Butterfly Dance!" Sumire's powerful final attack dispatched the remainder wakiji and the rest of the Hanagumi rejoined their captain.

"We're sorry for being late," apologised Maria. "If we had been a bit faster, Satan wouldn't have escaped."

"It's alright – we protected the nearby homes, and none of you were hurt. That's more important." The front of Ogami's koubu hissed open and he leapt out. "But what was that strange black thing? Kohran, did your sensors manage to get anything on it?"

"Not much." She poked at a dial. "Jest that it was th' largest energy reading I'd ever picked up – stronger even than Iris' – an' it was evil." The Chinese girl gave an involuntary shudder. "Jest plain evil."

Silence fell over the Hanagumi.

"Well, no point in remaining here," interrupted Ogami. "Let's return to the Theatre – I'll report this to General Yoneda."

He watched them trail away; Kanna and Sumire were talking quietly together, evidently too depressed by this turn of events even to bicker. Kohran fiddled with the various instruments in her koubu. Iris clung to his leg, Jean Paul clutched tightly under her free arm and had to be urged to join the others with a soft word from Ogami.

* * *

That evening, he had not much appetite for dinner and stayed in his room instead of going down to the dining hall. The worn handbook which Yoneda had given him when he became captain lay opened on his lap, forgotten; the young naval ensign stared off into the distance.

Yoneda and Ayame, his deputy, had taken the news grimly, along with the additional information; Ogami was sure his old friend Kayama would be kept busy gleaning as much knowledge as he could.

"It's not a total loss, Ogami," the commander had said, clapping him on the back, "so don't look so dejected. At least we know why the Kuronosu Council targeted the places they did – all we have to do is figure out what those things were. You actually made our job a little easier."

Despite his commanding officer's words, he was not as optimistic.

There was a knock at the door. "Ogami-san?"

"Sakura-kun."

It opened; Sakura stood there, a tray in her hands. "Erm, you didn't go down for dinner so Kanna-san made a tray for you and I volunteered to bring it up."

He smiled and pushed his chair back, walking over to take it from her. "You shouldn't have bothered; I'll go down to the kitchen when I'm hungry." Ogami blinked at the weight of the tray as he took it. "Whoa – did you say Kanna cooked today?"

She laughed. "Kanna-san said the extra food would cheer you up."

Ogami sweatdropped. "Eheh – I hope it does."

Instead of leaving, as he expected her to do, Sakura lingered at the door, her hands fidgeting in her lap. She was looking apprehensive, much like she had been in the early days of their acquaintance when she had been nervous and awkward.

"... Ogami-san, you fought well today," she said, blushing madly.

He shook his head. "Satan got away, and I failed to stop him from doing what he intended to do. I hardly think it qualified."

Sakura's eyes widened, all embarrassment forgotten. "Of course it did! Without your commands, we wouldn't have defeated the Kamui that quickly and saw the strange object."

"Now that we know what the Kuronosu Council are trying to do, we'll soon be able to predict where they'll attack next so less people have to suffer. The next time, we'll defeat him." The young girl smiled. "Cheer up, Ogami-san. I believe in you."

At last he managed a smile. "Thanks, Sakura-kun. You always know what to say to make me feel better."

"So do you," she responded, and promptly blushed.

Ogami's face was as red as hers; he busied himself with the dinner tray.

"I need to go," managed Sakura. "Good night, Ogami-san. Try not to worry so much." She ducked out the door before he could say anything.


	4. Waiting

**Author's Note:** Written for the LJ comm **100_fairytales**; the prompt used was 'keeping up appearances'.

* * *

Underneath Tokyo, Tenkai reclined in his throne. Aoi Satan knelt before him with his head bowed.

"The only one left," remarked Tenkai. "The others are dead."

"My lord."

He raised a hand. "They served me well – as you continue to do, Satan." The ghoul smiled. "My full power has returned to me; the imperial capital is mine again."

Tenkai rose. "It is time."

"My lord, you promised – "

"Yes. Your reward for helping me." He glided over to the kneeling figure. "Bishop Tenkai rewards his loyal followers."

Satan barely suppressed his grin as power coursed through his body. Power unimaginable; enough to destroy.

* * *

Ogami felt a lot better the next morning after a good night's sleep. Thankfully, there was not much work to be done that day; the Hanagumi had just received their scripts for their latest performance and were busy learning their lines.

Surprisingly, there had not been as much fuss about casting as he had expected.

"Th' Phantom of th' Opera?" asked Kohran, pronouncing the unfamiliar kanji carefully.

"It's a musical based on a novel from France," said Ogami, smiling at Iris' sudden interest.

"... This is an outrage!" fumed Sumire, waving the script about. "I demand to know who did the casting!"

Ogami sighed. He should have known it was too good to be true.

Kanna smirked. "But Carlotta suits you perfectly, as though she was written with you in mind." She flipped through the pages. "So I'm... Rowl? Roll? Raul? Whoever _that_ is... And look, Maria! You got the top spot as the Phantom!"

Sumire was fuming quietly. "Tell me, Ensign, who was that fool who could possibly make the mistake of giving me, Kanzaki Sumire, a supporting role in this production?"

Ogami grinned weakly. "Well, look here, Sumire-kun..."

"Hey, don't bully the poor Captain, snake woman!"

"Silence, ape woman! Can't you see I'm busy talking to the Ensign?"

"Here they go again," muttered Kohran. She skimmed through the cast list. "I'm... Meg? Who's that?"

Sakura stared at the list in dismay. "I'm the lead?"

"What?" exclaimed Sumire; her copy of the script grew even more crumpled. "This is an outrage! As the Top Star of the Teigeki, I _demand_ to know why the leading role has been given to this country bumpkin!"

Sakura bristled. "Country bumpkin?"

"Stop picking on her, witch!" Kanna jumped into the fray, despite Maria's nonverbal warnings. "They probably just couldn't stand you any longer!"

Quick as lightning, the other girl whirled on her longtime adversary. "Oh? And do _you_ have something to say about it, gorilla woman?"

Ogami, unnoticed in the background, sighed and massaged his stomach. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

As he headed down to the dining hall for dinner, Ogami passed Yuri in the hallway.

"Ah, Ogami-san!" she said. "The manager wants to see you right away."

"Alright, thanks for telling me, Yuri-kun."

The captain sighed; dinner would have to wait. He turned and made his way up the steps.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Manager?"

He looked up from his cup. "Ah. Yes. Come in, Ogami." The older man took a long draught.

"Tell me," he asked abruptly, "how did the girls take the casting?"

Ogami tried not to fidget. "Not... very well, sir."

"Did you tell them it was you who did the casting?"

"No, sir."

Yoneda chuckled. "Smart boy. You don't want them murdering you before opening night, eh?"

"Manager..."

He poured himself more sake. "Let me guess. You want to know why I put you in charge of this production, right?"

"... Yes, Manager. I'm not very experienced with the theater, and yet you entrusted this big-budget play to me – "

"Jeez!" Yoneda slammed his cup down; Ogami jumped.

"Get a grip, I don't like whiners. I chose you because of that outstanding job with _A Midsummer's Night Dream_, no more, no less. You think too little of yourself."

"I... yes, sir."

The older man's face softened. "Hey. I know it'll be hard, especially dealing with Sumire, but think of it as a learning experience. Not only with the theater, but with the Hanagumi as well." He leaned back in his chair. "This is all for the protection of the capital."

"And speaking of the capital..." Yoneda checked to make sure they were alone, before leaning forward conspiratorially. "More sightings of unusual activity involving the y_ou-know-what_s have been reported; we'll keep you updated when we receive more information."

"We still don't know exactly what those things are?"

"No." The commander looked older than Ogami had seen him before. "However, this doesn't mean you can slack, Ogami. You need to be prepared in case anything happens. Is that clear?"

The ensign stiffened into a salute. "Understood."

"Good lad. You may go."

Once the door of Yoneda's office clicked shut, Ogami sighed. It was easier said than done, dealing with the likes of the Teigeki's Top Star and the capital's defence; he might even think the first more difficult to deal with.

* * *

Surprisingly, it was Sumire who brought up the subject first. Over breakfast in the dining hall one morning, she pushed aside her plate and cleared her throat.

"The ensign has been looking rather troubled of late," she declared, pushing her fringe back.

Kohran nodded. "Yeah, I've noticed. Ogami-han's been spendin' a lot of time down in th' trainin' room."

Sakura merely nodded. The captain had not opened up to her since the night of the last battle, when she had taken him dinner.

"I've got an idea!" Everyone turned to look at Kanna who was grinning. "Manager Yoneda'll be giving us an off day after we finish the production! We should all go out and take the Captain with us!"

"... that's actually a good idea, Kanna-san," said Sumire. "I was expecting you to say something involving food, since that's all you ever think about..."

"Say that again, cactus woman!" But the words were said almost like a formality; they simply just were not in the mood when their squad captain was in this condition.

"Yes, that's a good idea, Kanna." Maria stood up. "I'll speak with Manager Yoneda later this afternoon and see whether we can get it earlier."

"Yay! A date with Onii-chan!"

"Erm, Iris, I don't think it really qualifies as a date since all of us are going," said Kanna. "Now, if it was only one of us with the captain..."

She left the sentence unfinished; all the girls blushed and looked away, not meeting each other's eyes.

Maria broke the silence. "We've wasted enough time here. Let's go. We have a rehearsal to attend."

They drifted out of the dining hall slowly; Sakura hung back, her hands clutched in front of her. Maria noticed and fell back with her. "Sakura?"

"Ogami-san – Ogami-san hasn't been saying anything to anyone. It's not like him... not since that time." She was not about to tell her friend about the promise she had extracted from him that night at the empty stage; before the others had come in. "I'm worried."

"He'll be fine," said the Russian girl brusquely. The last thing she wanted was to have their female lead distracted; Maria's focus was on the play now.

"But Ogami-san – "

" – is most likely waiting for us in at the stage already." She noted the crestfallen look on Sakura's face and continued in a gentler voice. "Sakura, you know the captain well enough. He'll be fine."

She nodded, seeing it was pointless to argue. Sakura would just have to trust in Ogami and Maria.

* * *

Ogami was poring over a dusty book taken from the attic in the library. It was ancient; every turn of the page made him sneeze. He sighed. There was virtually nothing of interest in it; nothing to explain the nature of the strange black object.

"Onii-chan?"

The captain looked up to see Iris hovering beside his desk. "Iris," he said, breaking into a smile. "What's the matter?"

She glanced down at the stuffed teddy in her arms. "Jean-Paul had a nightmare," Iris said in a confidential whisper, "and can't get back to sleep."

Ogami patted Jean-Paul. "I see. Well, let's tuck him in. And I suppose you must be tired too, Iris?"

He left the book where it was, standing up and taking up the lamp that sat beside him. Iris slipped her hand in his free one.

In Iris' room, Ogami sat on the edge of her bed, tugging Jean-Paul's nightcap straight and making the little girl giggle.

"There," he said, pulling up the blanket. "Both Jean-Paul and Iris are comfortable now."

Blue eyes stared back solemnly. The captain frowned.

"Iris? Is there something else?"

She pulled the blankets all the way up, leaving only her eyes visible. "Iris is worried about Onii-chan," came the muffled sound. "Onii-chan hasn't smiled since that fight."

"I'm fine," he said defensively. "We lost the battle and I'm just trying to find out what that thing was."

"Onii-chan?"

Iris regarded him from over the top of her blankets. "Promise Iris something. Promise you won't keep your problems to yourself, okay?"

Ogami hesitated. It sounded very familiar...

"... Yes. Of course, Iris. I'll be sure to share any problems I'm having."


	5. Storm

**Author's Note:** Written for the LJ comm **100_fairytales**; the prompt used was 'the thunderstorm'. Not really a real chapter, more of a fluffy filler ^_^

* * *

Ogami frowned as he glanced out the window. Thunder boomed in the distance; even as he watched, clouds rolled forward and hid the crescent moon from view.

"There's going to be a massive thunderstorm tonight," he murmured. "Sakura-kun... I wonder if she's alright."

He got up from Iris' bed and tucked the blanket under her chin. One last look at the sleeping girl, and the door shut.

"I'd better finish up my rounds first before I go check on Sakura-kun," he decided. The captain ran his hand through his hair. "Aah... the book. I forgot about it. I'll have to collect it too before I go to sleep." Despite the complete absence of anything useful, it was still part of the Kagekidan archives.

Ogami trudged through the hallways – but his mind was not on his duties.

_There's another rehearsal tomorrow – and Maria tells me that Sumire-kun isn't happy with her role at all, now that she's read through the script. She wants a recasting. Kohran's occupied with another top-secret project for the Flower Mansion and is always distracted... Sumire-kun's attitude isn't exactly helping Kanna's concentration – the pair of them bicker worse than before. Sakura-kun... she's understandably nervous about this major role, and Sumire-kun is only worsening things. Not to mention the Kuronosu Council and that object..._

Ogami heaved a sigh and ran a hand distractedly through his hair. _Ah... what to do..._

A flash of lightning accompanied by a loud crack of thunder made him jump. The rain had just began to fall; torrents of water rattled noisily against the windows and roof.

He had not experienced such a storm before; the wind seemed to tear at the panes of glass even as water pounded at it. Lightning lit up the night sky and turned it to day.

His thoughts went to Sakura. Her debilitating phobia of thunderstorms was sure to be worsened by the terrible storm.

Making his way to her room, he checked in on Iris first; the French girl appeared not to have been disturbed, sleeping soundly in her bed. Ogami allowed himself a quick smile of relief.

"Sakura-kun? Are you alright?" called the captain, rapping on her bedroom door. "May I come in?"

Silence, punctuated by thunder and the rushing sound of falling rain. He grew more worried.

"Sakura-kun?" He tested the door; it swung open easily.

She was huddled in the farthest corner of the room from the window, her arms wrapped tight around her knees. With every flash of lightning which illuminated the place, Sakura flinched. He could barely make out the script for _The Phantom of the Opera_ beside her – she had clearly been learning her lines when the storm struck.

Ogami fell to one knee beside her, his hand shaking her arm. "Sakura-kun!"

"O – Ogami-san..."

Sakura clung to him, shaking uncontrollably. The young captain rubbed her back.

"Shh... it's alright. I'm here."

Another crack of thunder; Ogami winced as her fingers dug into his shirt painfully. "Calm down, Sakura-kun... remember my promise to you?"

She did calm down at that; Sakura raised her face. "Yes..."

"Sakura-kun... The storm will pass soon," he said softly. "Get up – you'll catch cold on the floor." Pulling her to her feet, Ogami slipped a steadying arm around her waist. She murmured her thanks and allowed him to guide her to her bed.

"You must be tired – it was a long day at rehearsal." The captain held up the script. "And still working hard, I see."

She offered him a weak smile. "You... could say that."

Thunder boomed; Ogami touched her cheek, preventing her from looking at the window. Sakura's cheek flushed crimson under his hand.

"Ogami-san..."

"Do you... trust me?"

She closed her eyes and covered his hand with her own. "I – Yes..."

The young man nodded and pulled her closer. Sakura rested her head against his chest, exhaling softly. Her trembling gradually eased away.

In the dark, his hand fumbled for hers; large fingers enclosed smaller ones in their grip. Ogami was heartened to feel Sakura's breathing become more even.

"Listen; the storm's passing."

Thunder continued to roll, but the sound was muffled; lightning lit up the sky only intermittently. He felt her sigh with relief against his neck – and blushed.

"Um, Ogami-san..." Sakura hurriedly distanced herself from him, also blushing furiously. "Thank you for being here with me."

"Ah, erh... it was no problem at all," he stammered. "Well... I should be leaving now. Good night."

She followed him to the door to see him out. In the short walk there, both of them took the time to regain their normal composure.

"Good night, Ogami-san." Sakura's hands were clasped neatly in front of her. "Really... thank you for earlier."

"Don't mention it."

While this exchange was going on, both failed to notice the door down the hallway open a fraction, before closing without a sound.


	6. One Matchmaker and a Half

**Author's Note:** Written for the LJ comm **100_fairytales**; the prompt used was 'two matchmakers'. The Great War refers to World War I (1914-18)

* * *

The next morning was perfectly tranquil, as opposed to the fury of last night. Kohran sat in the dining hall, alternately sipping her tea and poring over a stack of blueprints.

She scribbled a note in grease pen down the side of a diagram – and sighed as some tea slopped over the edge, staining it.

"Aw man..."

"Good morning, Kohran!"

The bespectacled girl peered up, her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose. "Hmm? Ah, Sakura-han... mornin'!"

Sakura placed her tray on the table and sat opposite her. "Working hard, I see."

"Heh, yeah..." Kohran brushed some hair from her face, inadverdently leaving smudges from her grease pen there. "Ah – oops." She put down her tea and rubbed it with her sleeve. "Yer up early too, Sakura-han."

"I was learning my lines for the play," explained the older girl, taking up her chopsticks. "Christine does have a lot of lines... and these song lyrics are difficult to understand, even when translated into Japanese."

"You could always get Iris t'help you with understandin' th' translations," suggested Kohran with a wicked smile. "She's rather precocious for that age, so it won' be much've a problem."

"Kohran!" protested Sakura with a light blush as her friend cackled. "Don't say such things!"

"What did she say, Sakura?"

Kanna appeared from one of the side doors, grinning from ear to ear. "Morning, Sakura, Kohran."

"Good morning, Kanna-san!"

"Mornin', Kanna-han!"

Both girls sweatdropped as the Okinawan approached their table. "Kanna-han, yer really going t'eat all that?"

She beamed from over the mound of rice on her tray – which was dangerously curved in the middle. "Yep! Gotta start the day with a good breakfast!" The table creaked audibly under its new burden.

Kohran adopted a thoughtful expression, tapping her pen absently against her chin. "One of these days, Kanna-han, I gotta see what makes you tick."

"Erm, Kohran, remember? Ayame-san made you promise no more human subjects? Not after that last time, with the speed serum..." ventured a suddenly pale Kanna.

"Eheheh... I was jest kiddin'!" Kohran finished the last of her tea and stacked her tray with the emptied dishes, balancing the roll of blueprints under one arm. "Yosh! I'm done, I'll see y'all later at rehearsal?"

"Honestly," muttered Kanna into her rice as the Chinese girl exited, "if she had her way, we'd all be replaced by Mr Koubu Pilots who'd all explode the instant they saw the wakiji. Save the koubu the trouble of having to attack – if they managed to survive."

Sakura giggled.

* * *

Maria had brought her breakfast up to her room so she could eat and work undisturbed. Ayame had given her an interesting book, written by veterans of the Great War and filled with detailed analysis of major battles. It was a fascinating read, and an educational one as well; the vice-captain was so absorbed in making notes her breakfast went cold beside her.

At last, she leaned back in her chair and picked up her bread roll. Effective as the strategies were, many involved thousands – _millions _– of men and could hardly apply to a fighting force of six girls and their captain.

In any case, elaborate fighting plans were not necessary – barring the wakiji and the Kuronosu Council, Japan was one of the most peaceful places Maria had ever seen. Sunlight filtered through her window and warmed her face, making her smile.

It was so far removed from the bitter cold of Russia and the cutthroat underbelly of New York, she would have thought it a dream.

The small clock on her table chimed once. In an hour, rehearsals for the day would start. Maria gathered together her dishes and got up to take them down to the kitchen.

She paused outside Sakura's bedroom door on her way down and hesitated; thinking the better of it, she resumed her brisk pace.

She could confront Ogami about the previous night when she saw him in the theater.

* * *

The choreographer clapped her hands and the girls on stage paused to look at her. "Wonderful, girls! Take a ten minute break, please." There was a collective sigh of relief as they made their way to the seating area.

"Sakura-san."

She looked up – and almost choked on her water when she saw Sumire looking down at her. "Su – Sumire-san!" Sakura stood up immediately, wincing as the bamboo water canteen fell with a noisy clatter. "I'm sorry – !"

Sumire sniffed. "Clumsy as ever, I see. Anyway, I just wanted to comment on your performance this morning."

The swordswoman held her breath.

"I was unable to find a single mistake," continued the younger girl in her haughtiest tone. "Most surprising from you, Sakura-san. If you keep this up, someday you might almost be as good as me, the Teigeki's Top Star! Ohohohoho!"

Sakura stood there, speechless, as Sumire walked away. "T – Thank you, Sumire-san!"

"... Try not to let it go to your head," she shot back, but Sakura was too happy to care.

"Great work out there, Sakura-han!" Kohran emerged from the lights control room, beaming. "I saw everythin' from up there, an' it was splendid!"

"Thank you, Kohran," blushed Sakura.

"What's wrong? Yer not used to receivin' compliments, ain'tcha?"

"N – no, not really..."

The inventor smirked suddenly. "Come t'think of it, you've been awful cheerful today, Sakura-han." Kohran sidled closer. "It wouldn' be anythin' t'do with Ogami-han bein' in yer room last night, would it?"

The colour of Sakura's face went from a light pink to a darker crimson which rivalled the shade of Kohran's clothes.

"N – no! Ogami-san just came to check on me because I was afraid of the storm!"

"Yer wonderin' how I knew, right?" Kohran adjusted her spectacles and leaned forward. "I've bugged everyone's rooms with cameras, even th' Manager's." Under Sakura's horrified stare, she burst into laughter. "Nah, I'm jest kiddin'! I was about to leave my room last night to pick up a blueprint I'd left downstairs when I saw Ogami-han leavin' yer room."

"It would've been awkward if I came out aroun' that time, ne?"

"I – what?" Sakura lowered her head hurriedly. "Not at all! Please don't tease me, Kohran!"

"Aheheh... alright. Sorry about that, Sakura-han... I'll be goin' back to the lights room now, th' break's almost over."

Sakura watched her go, wondering who else had seen the pair of them last night – and how much.

* * *

A knock at Ogami's door came when he was preparing to go downstairs for dinner. "Come in," called the captain.

Maria stepped inside. "Captain."

"Ah, Maria." He tugged at his tie, trying and failing to pull the knot straight. "What is it?"

She held out a sheaf of paper to him. "Notes of battle strategies, sir. Ayame lent me this fascinating book about the Great War and I took the liberty of copying down some notes which might prove useful against the Kuronosu Council."

"Excellent work, Maria," he said as he accepted the notes from her. "Everyone's working hard except me," he added lightly.

"That's not true, Captain. You're also busy looking after the welfare of the Hanagumi members."

"That's my job," replied Ogami, a little confused over why she brought it up.

"I wonder if Sakura was scared by last night's thunderstorm," said Maria quietly. "It was one of the worst I've ever experienced."

The captain fell silent.

"I was awoken by the first clap of thunder and went to check on Iris and Sakura, but before I entered Sakura's room, I heard your voice from inside." The Russian girl walked over to the window.

"... Maria, there isn't anything between Sakura-kun and me," interjected Ogami quickly.

"Undoubtedly." She half-turned to look at him. "Even so... I know you'll take care of Sakura, Captain. You did promise to protect her always, didn't you?"

"That is... I..." He looked at the ground; he could have sworn he saw Maria smile, and was certain his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Of course, you'll take care of the rest of the Hanagumi as well," continued Maria placidly, "as expected of the captain of the Hanagumi." She walked to the door, her hand resting on the knob. "Good evening, Captain."

Ogami stared dumbfounded and reran the conversation in his mind. If it had been any other person than Maria, it would have been teasing.

Maria Tachibana, the steely Russian markswoman and still-feared Kazuar, did _not _tease others. Especially not about something he knew she considered as weak as love.

* * *

Kohran sat a little apart from the others at her favourite table in the dining hall – there was simply no space for her blueprints otherwise. The rest of the Hanagumi wisely avoided inviting her, seeing the telltale signs of a focused Kohran: glasses teetering on the end of her nose, one hand scribbling away even as the other tried to maneuver a pair of chopsticks, the fanatical gleam in her eyes.

"Kohran. How are the designs coming?"

She jumped, and the dumpling which was halfway to her mouth fell. "Maria-han! They're goin' great! Look, I've finished th' designs for th' generator – look, when yer add additional steam vents, circulation's improved an' it's ten times more efficient, with half th' input – "

Maria nodded at appropriate intervals, a look of concentration on her face. Kohran was delighted; out of the Hanagumi, it seemed only Maria understood and took an interest in how their koubu worked.

When the presentation was over, the Vice-captain nodded.

"Excellent work, Kohran."

"Aw, it was nothin'!" she beamed. "It was only a matter of recalibratin' th' ports an' refinin' the connections."

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, listening to the lively conversation of the other girls at the next table.

"Say, Maria-han... last night's thunderstorm was pretty bad, wasn't it?"

"Eh?" The fork paused in midair, halfway to her mouth. "... Yes, I believe so."

Kohran adjusted her spectacles and leaned forward conspiratorially. "You didn' happen to venture out of yer room any time durin'?" The fanatical look which was usually reserved for nefarious plans made Maria think carefully about her answer.

The Russian went for the direct approach. "If you're asking whether I saw the Captain and Sakura, then yes."

"You saw?" Kohran smirked. "An' didja ask them about it?"

"Certainly." Maria stood up as she gathered her dishes, seemingly oblivious to the slack-jawed response of her teammate. "Why are you this surprised, Kohran? The Captain is merely doing his duty in assuring the well-being of the unit members."

"... Erm, yeah," managed the Chinese girl. "But then..."

"If there is nothing else, please excuse me here." But as she left, she graced Kohran with a rare smile which sent a shiver down her spine.

Kohran sweatdropped. "Who knows what she's thinkin'. Maria-han... she's scary sometimes."

* * *

Kanna woke up in the middle of the night feeling peckish. She tried to ignore her stomach for a while, tossing and turning in bed before finally giving in.

"I'll just go see what's in the kitchen... maybe cook some of my special Kanna champloo." The thought prompted another rebellious growl.

She opened the door of her room a fraction – and then shut it hastily. A few bolts rattled from the force but it held.

"Crap! It's that prickly woman!"

Inexplicably enough, Sumire was out of bed and walking down the hallway in her dressing gown. The flickering light from the candle she held vanished around the corner.

The Okinawan heaved a sigh of relief – if she were to bump into the other woman, a fight was certain to be started and she could count on not getting any sleep for the rest of the night. Once she was certain the coast was clear, Kanna opened her door and stepped out –

_Krnch._

"Uh? What?" She lifted her foot and examined the crushed object, silently praying it was not anything important.

The black metal object was (or had been until recently) cylindrical in shape, with a few circuits and wires hanging loose. Kanna's mouth hung open as she recognized the still-intact end of the object...

"A _microphone_ – ? Kohran!"


	7. Argument Number 12,492

**Author's Note:** Written for the LJ comm **100_fairytales**; the prompt used was 'the ogre injured'.

* * *

Sumire was not happy. She had spent the entire morning bickering with Kanna – precisely what they had been arguing over long forgotten – and had gotten a telling-off from Maria. Even though this was normally how their arguments ended, Sumire was sore because Kanna – Kanna the _insufferable lumbering_ woman – had gotten the last word. _And_ had gloated about it.

To make matters worse, she had let it affect her and made a mistake in her onstage cues during afternoon rehearsal. A tiny one, to be sure, which went unnoticed by everyone else, but Sumire had to be perfect.

To make matters worse, Sakura had positively shone in rehearsal. The younger girl felt a little guilty she could not bring herself to be completely happy for her, because it meant her position as the Top Star was facing competition.

The young woman stomped up to her room after dinner, prepared to spend quality time relaxing with some good imported tea –

– the alarm sounded. She sniffed.

"I suppose I must," sighed Sumire, breaking into a run.

When she arrived downstairs, she was surprised to see Kanna sitting at the briefing table, rubbing a rapidly swelling forehead.

"Well, what mischief have you gotten yourself into now?"

The Okinawan glared and promptly winced. "Kanna-san fell out of the dressing tube and hit her forehead on the floor," explained Sakura.

"The stupid claw didn't let go of my boot quickly enough," interjected Kanna. "Darned thing – Kohran, you'd better get someone to fix that."

Sumire was barely able to suppress a smirk.

Yoneda stood up at the head of the table; the Hanagumi fell silent. "Aoi Satan has been spotted in Azabudai," he said, calling up the image on the screen behind his head. "The Yumegumi has proposed the black metallic objects the Kuronosu council seem to be planting are seals."

"Seals?"

The picture vanished and was replaced by a blurry image of the seal, taken at the last battle. "Yes, powerful seals laid years ago by the people to suppress Bishop Tenkai's powers. It seems the Kuronosu council has resurrected him and is trying to unlock his full powers..." Yoneda touched a sheaf of paper at his elbow. "Follow-up reports from the Tsukigumi indicate a vast decrease in the spiritual power of the surrounding after the object has been planted."

"So far, the attacks follow a pattern; all nearby important temples within the main Tokyo district," the commander pointed out the different locations as he spoke, "and of course, this."

A straight line appeared on the map, passing through all the locations.

Ogami frowned.

"That means – "

"Yes." Yoneda placed his hands behind his back. "We predict the next attack to be at Ikegami Honmon-ji."

"The reason we sounded the alarm was because the Yumegumi reported an unusual elevation of reiryoku in the area which usually precedes an attack," added Ayame. "Your mission is to scout the area and prevent the seal from being laid; if possible, destroy Tenkai's minions. We will stand by with Goraishi if you need backup."

"Understood." Ogami rose to his feet. "Teigoku Kagekidan, our mission is to protect Ikegami Honmon-ji! Go forth!"

"Yes sir!" They chorused.

* * *

Sumire's purple koubu marched around the perimeter of the building for what seemed like the hundredth time. "How boring," she sighed. "The enemy should come out to fight instead of wasting my time like this."

Her radio crackled. "Talking to yourself, eh, Sumire?"

She frowned. "Certainly not to you, Kanna-san."

"Oh come now; don't be so hostile." Sumire could practically see the Okinawan grinning as she spoke, no doubt being completely clueless about the nature of their mission.

She could not resist. "At least I am not as ignorant as a certain _unrefined_ woman who is _disregarding_ Ensign's orders."

"What did you say, you witch?"

Sakura sighed. "They're fighting again."

"Again?" Kohran commented. "They went at it all mornin'."

"Sumire isn't happy unless she's fighting with someone," observed Iris. "Like the other time..."

"Be quiet, all of you!" All five members of the Hanagumi winced and rubbed their ears as Maria's voice crackled over the radio, drowning out all of them effortlessly.

Radio silence reigned momentarily – and was soon broken by a dramatically hissed "_This is all your fault!_" from Kanna.

"_Me?_!" came the outraged reply almost immediately.

Ogami closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Huh... never a peaceful day around those two." They quickly snapped open again at the insistent beep of an incoming transmission.

"Ogami-san!" Tsubaki's face appeared in front of him. "We're picking up an elevated reiryoku reading from the temple grounds!"

"Something big is manifesting!"

"Damn!" he cursed, kicking the koubu into gear. "Hanagumi! Report your location, now!"

"I'm in front of the temple torii with Iris," came in Maria's voice.

"I'm behind the temple building with Kohran," answered Sakura.

He nodded. That left only two who had not responded... "Sumire-kun? Kanna! Where are you?"

Silence.

"... All units, report to the temple grounds immediately!"

* * *

Sumire was just about to deliver an insult when she felt an immense pressure weighing on her. "Such strong reiryoku..."

Behind them, on top of the main temple building, a figure materialized. Aoi Satan smirked down on the two solitary koubu in the courtyard.

"Well, Imperial Fighting Troupe. Your numbers seem greatly reduced."

They moved into a battle formation. "Hah! Two of us alone is more than enough to take you on!" shouted Kanna.

Satan smirked. "While impressive, mere courage alone will get you nowhere." His robot rose out of the ground, poised menacingly between him and the girls.

"Yaaaah!" Kanna charged forward, closely followed by Sumire. Sparks flew as the two met in a clang of metal. The enemy easily flung Kanna aside with a casual shrug and spent the rest of the blow on Sumire's naginata.

She gritted her teeth – the enemy was strong – and ignored the protests from the koubu's arms.

"Hold him!"

Kanna reappeared in her field of vision, sinking her magnetized claws into the mecha's flank in a one-two punch. Electricity crackled from the gashes but it seemed not to care.

Sumire's strength gave way then. Satan's koubu parried a half-hearted stroke from her naginata blade and knocked her bodily aside.

"Aaah!" The lights in her cockpit flickered madly.

"Sumire-kun! Kanna!" A familiar voice crackled over the radio. "Are you alright?"

"E – Ensign!"

"Hold on, we're coming! Until we get there, don't engage the enemy directly."

She tightened her jaw. "... Yes, sir."

"A bit late for that..." In a loud clanking of metal, a distinctly battered Kanna appeared. "Well, we'll just keep him busy until the others get here." She pulled Sumire's mecha back to her feet. "You okay?"

"More or less... thank you, Kanna-san."

"Don't thank me too quickly..." She gestured in the enemy's direction. "We can't let him place the seal!"

Already, the large black object hovered above the ground, emitting waves of spiritual energy enough to send the gauges of their koubu haywire.

"Onkiriri basara unbatahmun... onkirir basara unbatahmun..." With every syllable, the pulsating wave of energy rippled through its surroundings.

"Back me up," yelled Kanna, breaking into a run.

"W – wait, Kanna-san!" Sumire followed behind. "You can't expect to fight him in this condition!"

"I didn't say anything about fighting!"

Lowering her head, the Okinawan charged right into Satan's koubu. There was a brief moment filled with the sound of crunching metal before the enemy's side plate gave way. It teetered off balance before crashing down in front of its startled master – cutting off his chant midway.

Sumire smiled. "Well done, Kanna-san!"

"Aheh... thought you'd never say something like that to me, Sumire." Kanna extricated her distinctly battered koubu from the tangle and began limping back. "Let's finish him!"

Satan gritted his teeth and picked himself up. "Khhh... you think you have thwarted me? How foolish..."

"Look out!"

The robotic eye of Kanna's koubu swiveled around, spotting the accumulation of reiryoku – the battered machine creaked and groaned as it tried to move fast enough –

"Ah!"

Sumire flung herself in between them and held a defensive position. The force was mostly deflected by the naginata blade but she was thrown backwards.

"Sumire!" Kanna worked the controls of her koubu furiously to no avail. "Damn..."

Satan smirked. Before he could say anything, a loud crashing noise from the wall signalled the arrival of the rest of the Hanagumi.

"The Imperial Fighting Force is here to serve justice!"

"Haja Kensei, Ouka Houshin!" Sakura's attack not only shattered the seal but also damaged Satan's koubu.

"D – damn!" Satan backed away, weighing his options; finding the odds not in his favour, he vanished before their eyes.

"Sumire-kun! Kanna!"

They emerged from the beaten-up koubu cockpits looking as battered as their machines but otherwise unharmed. "That was a close one, guys," commented Kanna.

"Too close," sniffed Sumire, dusting off her jacket. "If Kanna-san had not bravely attacked Satan, the seal would have been laid."

"What're you talking about, Sumire! If you hadn't saved me from that attack, I wouldn't even be here!"

"... and here they go again," sighed Kohran, but she was smiling.


	8. Interlude: Inventions That Go Boom

**Author's Note:** Entertaining filler crack actually written as an exercise to both get used to the girls' personalities, as well as provide a cheap laugh.

* * *

Ogami frowned and glanced outside the window; belying the hot sunshine of yesterday, it was drizzling today. He shrugged and got dressed.

In the dining hall, only Maria was present. The blonde Russian sipped her coffee and perused the morning paper.

"Good morning, Maria."

She looked up. "Ah, good morning, Captain."

"Uh... where is everyone?" he asked as he sat down to his breakfast.

"In Kohran's room. She said she had an invention to show us – "

" – which is precisely why you stayed here?"

He could have sworn she smiled into her coffee. "Given the nature of Kohran's inventions, I deemed it best to give this demonstration a miss."

"A wise decision," said Ogami solemnly.

The comfortable silence was soon broken by a shriek. The captain and his deputy exchanged looks, and setting down their breakfast, headed upstairs.

"Kohran?" called Ogami. "Is everything alright?"

"... Ah, Ogami-han – and Maria-han!" The door of the Chinese inventor's room flew open, and she poked her head out. He was a little taken aback to see the disheveled condition she was in. "Come on in!"

"Ah, Kohran... where is everyone?"

"Right here." A disgruntled-looking Sumire stood in the corner of the room, arms folded across her chest. Arrayed around her were the other members of the Hanagumi in similar condition.

"Whoa – what exactly happened?"

"Kohran was testing her new experiment on us," explained Sumire, "and it went wrong."

"Iris doesn't like being out of her body!" cried Kanna. Ogami and Maria instinctively took a step back.

"Wait... Iris?"

"Aheh... my latest machine switches people's personalities," explained Kohran. "But it's only a prototype, an' apparently it's got a few bugs I haven't worked out yet..."

"Ensign, do something!" complained Iris. "I, the Teigeki's top star, refuse to appear publicly in this state."

Ogami glanced around – even Maria appeared to be dumbfounded. "R – right. So, where is everyone – I mean, whose body are you in?"

"I'm here, Ogami-san... it's Sakura," said Sumire.

"Yo, Captain," said an uneasy-looking Sakura. "I'm Kanna."

"As I have mentioned, I am Sumire," said Iris.

"When Iris said she wanted to grow up faster, this wasn't what Iris meant!" complained Kanna. "Hey, Sumire, can Iris have Jean-Paul?"

Iris handed the stuffed bear to Kanna, who promptly clutched it in both arms; being twice the normal length, Jean-Paul was hidden from view.

"Goodness, Sumire-san, how can you bear to be dressed like this?" asked Sumire, blushing as she tried to pull up the collar of the kimono. "Your obi is so tight, I can barely breathe."

Iris placed a hand over her mouth and laughed."Ohohohoho, I can't expect a country bumpkin like yourself to understand fashion." Tossing her hair, she added, "kindly do not mistreat my body."

"Sure is strange looking at myself from this angle," mused Sakura aloud, rubbing her chin. "You're really short, Sakura."

Kanna crossed her room and seized Ogami's arm with one hand, the other hanging on to Jean-Paul; he gasped as the life was squeezed out of it. "Onii-chaan!" she wailed, crouching down to press her face against his sleeve.

"Iris... please don't grab my arm so tightly..."

"Ah – sorry, Onii-chan! Iris forgot she isn't herself..."

Sakura watched the entire thing, a horrified expression in place. "... Please tell me I didn't just watch myself do that..."

Iris smirked.

Maria crossed the room and examined a strange metal contraption which was still hissing gently. "Is this the invention which caused this, Kohran?"

"Yeah, it's my Suicchi-kun." Oblivious to the death glares the other Hanagumi members were shooting her, she pulled out a spanner and tapped the front panel fondly. "Y'jest pull the lever here and th' two subjects y'aim it at get switched."

"Is there a reverse setting for it?"

"Not yet, but if I adjust some of the wires around an' reverse th'polarity, it should induce an alternatin' current in th' opposite direction."

Maria blinked. "... Which will reverse the machine's effects?"

"Which'll reverse th' machine's effects."

"Then get to it." The Russian faced the squabbling girls. "All of you, please wait patiently while Kohran adjusts the machine."

"What if it switches us around again?" asked Iris loudly. "While inhabiting the body of a child is bad enough, there is no way I will tolerate being in the body of a country mouse, or even worse, that gorilla woman!"

"What d'you mean by gorilla woman, you witch!" growled Sakura, rolling up her sleeves and moving into a karate stance.

"Iris is not a child!" pouted Kanna, squeezing Jean-Paul so tightly his sewn-on eyes appeared to bulge from his head. "Don't be mean, Sumire!"

"Sumire-san, Kanna-san, Iris... please don't fight," said Sumire hastily, her hands clasped before her. Iris wrinkled her nose. "Kohran-san, please hurry up! I simply cannot bear watching my body acting in such a humiliating fashion!"

Kohran chuckled as she looked up from her work. "Actually, we could jest leave them like this, it's rather funny this way – don't you think, Ogami-han?"

"I, er..." He decided not to say anything as he received the full force of glares from the four girls. "... It's really best if we change them back to their own bodies as quickly as possible, Kohran."

"Aw, phooey." She pushed her glasses back up her nose and focused on the wiring. "Ogami-han, y'spoilsport. Eh, but it can't be helped. Right... so I jest cut here, and switch th'terminals for th'current..." Kohran snapped down the panel and wiped her brow. "Yosh! Done!"

The four girls crowded eagerly around the machine. "Ready?" asked the Chinese girl, finger poised over the red button.

She pressed it – and there was a loud explosion. Thick clouds of black smoke filled the room, followed by the sounds of coughing.

"I... I am myself again!" Sumire, a pleased expression on her face, brushed off her kimono.

"Ah, it feels great to be me!" Kanna passed Jean-Paul back to a delighted Iris.

"Hey, it worked!" exclaimed Ogami happily.

"Ah, Kohran..." The Chinese girl blanched, catching sight of his body across the room; one hand touched his stomach, confirming his worst fears –

"Kyaa! Ogami-han, you pervert!" Ogami bounded across the room. "Stop touching me!"

Kohran flung her hands up, blushing furious crimson. "I – I didn't mean anything!" As she ran, face burning a darker shade with every movement as the high-slitted cheongsam revealed more flesh, Ogami pushed up his sleeves and pressed the button again.

The five other girls blanched and fled as one just as his finger touched the device. The resulting explosion was louder than the previous ones had been; the entire corridor engulfed with acrid black smoke as Suicchi-kun gave up the ghost.

"Yaaah! My Suicchi-kun!" wailed a despondent Kohran, poking at the twisted blackened remains.

Ogami ran his hands up and down his body and breathed a sigh of relief – punctuated by a few hacking coughs. "That was... such a terrifying experience..."

The rest of the Hanagumi poked in, a severe expression in place – even Iris glowered from behind Jean-Paul's smudged face.

"Kohran, don't you _ever_ ask us to test one of your crazy inventions ever again," grumbled Kanna. "Heck, I'd rather face Satan one-on-one with my hands tied behind my back."

Maria was expressionless, save for a single bead of sweat trickling down the side of her head. "Kohran, please focus your efforts on less... _frivolous_ pursuits."

To top it off was Iris with the parting: "


End file.
